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  • Stress is good – Well sort of…….?

    When was the last time you walked into a train and saw people just sitting or standing looking into “space” or out of the window?  When was the last time you walked in the street and everyone was mindful of where they are going, but not in a hurry to get there first?  When was the last time you walked into an office and everyone was relaxed, thinking, planning, calmly listening to each other and discussing matters of importance, but not urgency?

    What is the point that I am making?  Today’s world is going at such a fast pace that most of us don’t think about, pay attention to, or even notice others as we hurriedly make our way to the office, to home, the shops or in general through life!  What is the impact of this on our well-being and in general on how we see life – Do we live to work, or work to live?

    Stress is at the base of many symptoms and “dis-eases” that modern man suffers – insomnia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, digestive problems such as Crohn’s disease and acid reflux, much of which we bring on ourselves by the type of life we lead.  What is stress and how can we manage it?

    Stress may be defined as  “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.”  Stress is primarily a physical response.  When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action to fend off danger.   This is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response.

    In the modern world, the ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous modern day situations, If taken to the extreme it can cause a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion. If we find ourselves in the fight or flight state for long periods, due to too much stress, blood flow to the brain is minimised, potentially leading to the inability to think straight and cause dis-eased reactions in our general state of health.  Elevated cortisol levels can lead us to being less tolerant of others, aggressive and short tempered as well as causing an increase in sugar and blood pressure levels, and often a decrease in libido.

    Pressure or Stress

    Most of us respond well to and give of our best when jobs, careers and lives are challenging, but at the same time stimulating, and interesting.  Tasks that are too easy do not engage us or encourage us to give of our best.  On the other hand tasks that are overly challenging, or too numerous push us, and inevitably those around us into an area of too much stress.  Giving of our best means learning to know when we are under or over our limit.  Signs might include:

    Under-stressed – We show a lack of interest or enthusiasm.  We don’t see the meaning behind what we are doing and become bored or have lack of energy.  The colour associated with this state would probably be “grey”.

    Over-stressed – We feel anxious and often confused, feeling like we are in a hamster wheel with no way out. Judgment on situations drops, our ability to solve problems becomes less effective, mistakes increase, re-work increases, and potentially we get angry and frustrated at ourselves and others.  The colour here would probably be “red”

    Optimum level – We are alert and self-confident.  We are interested, respond appropriately and do our tasks with energy.  Our overall demeanor is calm, relaxed, positive and enthusiastic.  For this state, there are several colours that might be associated with optimum level – yellow, green and blue.

    How to achieve and maintain optimum level

    Research into lifestyle shows that we will be better equipped to manage stressful situations if they come along when mentally and physically well.  This means exercising at least three times per week.  Exercise does not have to be running a half marathon or doing the iron man, it can be walking the dog, or yourself upwards of 30 minutes at a steady pace.  It can be swimming, playing tennis, football or any other sport that increases cardiovascular activity to exercise the heart muscle, increase oxygen in the blood, and to the brain and raise the essential endorphins or feel-good factor.

    Maintaining the correct body weight means we are not straining our heart, we are feeling comfortable and happy within ourselves and the organs within our body are not having to work harder, thus taking essential energy due to excess body weight.

    Body weight and energy are achieved through a balanced diet.  Does this mean we cant have the odd piece of cake, packet of crisps or bar of chocolate?  Of course not!  However, eating three meals a day thus feeding the brain as well as the body is important.  Meals should contain slow releasing carbohydrates (whole grains, lentils and pulses), essential fats of Omega 3 and 6 (avocados, pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds), good quality protein to supply with body with amino acids (chicken, eggs, fish and lentils), and lots of vegetables.  In other words at every meal you should be eating the rainbow!

    Water is not only essential for our bodies, but vital for organ health, the brain and all bodily functions. The human body is made up of 75% water and 25% solid matter.  Brain tissue is 85% water.  When cells in the body are starved of water they start to complain manifesting in different reactions, including stress.

    Additional methods of coping to help us maintain optimum level are:

    • Practice good time management
    • Say “No” when it is needed to say “No”
    • Practice constructive self talk
    • Develop a support system of people you can talk to
    • Avoid procrastination – do it today!

    Stress is necessary at some points in our life, the trick is to ensure that it is “optimum level” stress and if for some reason it goes into “over stress” it is short lived and temporary.

  • Leading a Contact Centre – The Hidden Challenges

    As a manager of a support or contact centre, do you recognise any of these challenges when trying to lead your team to deliver excellent and consistent customer service, while also meeting demanding performance targets?

    If so, you’re not alone. Many contact centre managers face a combination of people, performance, and engagement challenges that make leading others one of the toughest, but most rewarding roles in business today.

    1. The Leadership Learning Curve

    Too often, managers step into their roles with little preparation or development for what leadership truly entails. They may have been top-performing agents, but managing others requires a different skill set entirely.

    Common challenges include:

    • Difficulty transitioning from team player to manager
    • Lack of emotional intelligence to build trust and strong relationships
    • Avoiding difficult conversations or giving feedback when performance dips
    • Struggling to coach effectively to drive behavioural change
    • Handling too many escalated calls, which may signal a lack of team empowerment.

    Leadership in a contact centre is about influence, coaching, and empathy—skills that require focused development and continuous learning.

    2. The Human Connection in a Hybrid World

    Many organisations celebrate hybrid working as a win-win: reduced office costs, better work-life balance, and increased flexibility. But there’s another side to the story—human engagement between managers and employees can easily drop when face-to-face contact becomes rare. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” too often becomes reality.

    When team members feel disconnected, motivation slips, communication weakens, and performance targets suffer. Today’s managers need new skills to lead remotely—skills in virtual communication, trust-building, and emotional presence to ensure their teams remain inspired, supported, and empowered, even when working miles apart.

    3. The Cost of Constant Turnover

    Every new hire whether in a contact centre or elsewhere typically needs months of training and coaching before reaching full productivity. When attrition is high, managers are caught in a constant cycle of recruiting, onboarding, and retraining—leaving less time for strategy, coaching, and customer experience improvement.

    High staff turnover is not only financially costly, but it also drains team morale and consistency. Customers notice when they’re dealing with inexperienced agents, and loyal employees feel frustrated when they must constantly compensate and fill gaps.

    4. Beyond “It’s Typical for This Role”: Tackling Attrition at the Source

    Attrition in support centres is often accepted as “part of the job.” But if we dig deeper, it can reveal more serious root causes and concerns:

    • A toxic work culture where stress and burnout go unchecked
    • Poor management practices or lack of employee recognition
    • Weak recruiting that places the wrong people in the wrong roles.

    While some turnover is healthy and brings fresh perspectives, excessive churn creates chaos, inconsistency, and frustration for both employees and customers. The key to reducing attrition isn’t just about better pay or benefits—it’s about developing great managers. Managers who communicate clearly, coach effectively, and build trust and motivation create environments where people want to stay, do a great job and grow.

    5. Investing in Manager Development Is No Longer Optional

    The success of any support centre ultimately depends on the capability of its managers. By equipping them with the right skills—emotional intelligence, feedback delivery, coaching, and remote leadership, organisations can:

    • Strengthen employee engagement
    • Reduce costly turnover
    • Improve customer satisfaction
    • And create a culture of accountability and empowerment.

    In the end, great customer service starts with great leadership. Developing your managers isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the foundation for a healthy, high-performing contact centre.

    The key lies in developing managers who can:

    •           Lead with empathy and accountability

    •           Coach effectively to build competence and confidence

    •           Maintain engagement in hybrid settings

    •           Model the culture you want your customers to experience

    Strong leadership remains the cornerstone of every high-performing team, department, and organisation.

    Looking for learning solutions to support development of your managers, here's a recent case study:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/improving-support-centre-effectiveness

    More reading:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/blog?p=thriving-call-centre-culture-wellbeing-success

     One of our solutions:

    https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/bundles/management-skills-in-the-tech-sector

     

  • The impact of a toxic job

    Recently I have been deeply saddened by the number of people that I know that have a toxic job in a toxic environment whether physically in the office or remotely. When listening to the news over the last few months that staff are scarce and it is difficult to hire personnel for the many job vacancies, I am beginning to wonder if there some correlation between leadership and the way employees are treated and the scarcity of people, and therefore the inability to hire to fill vacancies?

    Everyone has bad days at work, but there are signs that employees and employers need to watch out for before a bad week “at the office” turns into never-ending, debilitating work stress that is ruining their personal health.  

    Too many people are trapped in toxic jobs. Jeffrey Pfeffer, an organizational behaviour professor at Stanford wrote in his book  “Dying for a Paycheck,”  (March 2018) that research has found that poor management in U.S. companies accounted for up to 8 percent of annual health costs and was associated with 120,000 excess deaths every year. Are employers really asking employees to put up with poor management and a toxic work environment at the cost of their health?

    As a Naturopath, Kinesiologist and Medical Herbalist, when consulting private clients about their health it is clear when the body knows subconsciously that their job is to blame for feelings of stress and overwhelm and it is that that is leading to the very symptoms they are consulting me about.

    What are typical symptoms when subjected to stress for long periods of time causing overwhelm, feelings of being over-stressed and potentially burnt out?

    Poor Sleep

    Very often poor or lack of sleep is one of the main symptoms. Clients report either not being able to sleep because their mind is racing or not being able to stay asleep, waking up in the middle of the night thinking about their to-do list or how to address a “conflict” issue with their boss. A few restless nights is not a big deal, but if it becomes a pattern, that may be a sign that job stress has become toxic.

    Waking night after night feeling more and more exhausted is a recipe for increasing mistakes when at work leading to re-work, which then affects the achievement of agreed goals and deadlines, causing a downward spiral to ill-health and poor performance.

    Headaches 

    I remember having a job many years ago, that literally made me sick. I would stand outside the door and all my muscles would tense up to guard my body from injury, causing chronic tension in my neck, shoulders and head. Chronic tension in this area is often associated with tension headaches and if it continues for weeks, may result in migraines, both being extremely debilitating, but migraine having the power to shut down the body and mind for up to 24 hours before the person begins to feel a little better.

    Digestion Issues and Nausea

    When in a job that is toxic, it can feel like you’re fighting off a wild tiger at your desk. Under a perceived threat, your brain floods the system with adrenaline and other stress hormones.

    A nervous system constantly under stress, can cause feelings of nausea, issues with digestion such as diahorrea or even constipation, as the body holds on to something that simply it cannot let go of. Notice how you and your employees are sitting when working at their computer? Are their shoulders hunched and jaw clenched most of the time as this might be a sign that the job is impacting health. 

    Indigestion, constipation and bloating can all be associated with stress, but not always the main cause, as stress impacts what and how the gut digests foods. Stress due to circulating stress hormones has the ability to impact healthy gut bacteria which in turn impacts mood due to the gut-brain axis. 

    Poor Mental Health

    At the moment, there is great emphasis on poor mental health and how organisations are to address this to prevent employees from suffering with mental health diseases, such as anxiety, mood swings, low mood and depression. Could it be that the toxic workplace and/ or boss is actually causing the mental ill-health in the first place?

    In 2019 depression was the leading cause of mental health related diseases and major cause of disability worldwide affecting approximately 280 million people and accounting for more than 47 million disability-adjusted life years in the same year. In fact, post Covid, a World Health Organisation (WHO) study published in April 2022 states that “global prevalence of mental health disorders increased by a massive 25% across the board”. Young people and women being the worst hit.

    Suffering from Regular Sickness

    If you are catching colds constantly, or don’t seem to be able to shake off a cold, ask yourself “Why this might be so?” If you have employees that seem to be constantly sick, have a closer look at what they are doing? Are they constantly working under pressure and stress, or very long hours just to keep up? Are they happy and fulfilled in what they are doing? How do you encourage and lead them? Do you give positive feedback on a regular basis or are you quick to criticise and highlight all the things that they are doing wrong?

    There is a direct relationship to living a happy fulfilled life and health. Chronic stress, whatever the source will compromise the immune system, making the individual more susceptible to illness, therefore that cycle of illness-exhaustion-unhappiness repeating over and over. This obviously increases sickness and absenteeism within a department, putting stress on those that are working, and the company as a whole.

    Tired all the Time

    A feeling of being tired all the time, having no energy and the desire to sleep is fatigue, a bone-deep weariness that no nap or weekend lie-in seems to cure. Toxic jobs and a / or a toxic work environment or relationship can create a cycle that drains us. When feeling overwhelmed we tend to lack focus and concentration and therefore require longer working hours to achieve the same result. This in turn leads to a downward spiral and results in time off to recuperate.

    Appetite Changes

    Appetite is closely linked to your brain. Under acute stress, your fight-or-flight response releases adrenaline, telling your body to suppress digestion to focus on saving you from the perceived danger. Under long-term stress the body’s adrenal glands release and build up cortisol, a hormone which can increase hunger. When your job is causing long-term emotional distress, you may turn to food for comfort or completely lose your appetite.  

    Sugary foods and caffeine-based drinks are often the type of food craved when under stress because the body and brain are burning masses of energy just to sustain an even keel. Sugary foods, often known as comfort foods, as with caffeine-based drinks, give that quick energy boost to get you through the next task. Doing this occasionally will not cause too much harm, but when locked into this cycle the downside is a sugar low, and over time that low gets lower and the energy boost lower also, feeding a craving for more and more sugar, but resulting in less and less energy.

    What is Your Responsibility in Staying Healthy?

    As an Employee:

    Address the toxic boss – Go straight to the horse’s mouth and lead an open conversation about how you are feeling and why. Calling your boss “toxic” certainly will not win you any brownie points but, pointing out that his or her leadership approach is inappropriate to lead and encourage to be at your best and most productive, just might. If it doesn’t you know where you stand.

    Reframe your negative thinking – One of the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, is that how you think can change how you feel. Perhaps changing jobs is not an option for you. Therefore, reframing the situation might just work. Using mindfulness to manage unhelpful churning thoughts about how a recent presentation went, what you should have said in a particular situation, instead of what you did say, or what a colleague said to you, can be very useful in stopping these unhelpful thoughts that create dissatisfaction and drain energy while they are at it!

    Create personal boundaries – Create boundaries for how many hours you work each day. Don’t be overly pedantic about this in being sure to observe the exact start and finish times, but generally stay within the parameters. Take breaks for lunch and get away from your work-station, computer or regular place of actual work, so that you can enjoy your break without interruption. Educate others around your boundaries so that they too can organise themselves.

    Be clear on goals – Clarify anything that is not clear before embarking on the task. Fumbling through tasks that are not clear in the hope that you might get it right uses up much unnecessary energy through generating feelings of lack of confidence and circulating self-talk, while also running round trying to find information from others who are themselves not clear on what they are responsible for and therefore don’t have what you need.

    Leave – On recognising that you are in the “wrong” job for you, see these things as a warning that you need to get a new job. Long hours, absence of autonomy, uncertain scheduling, poor management and economic insecurity of a job are all factors that contribute to a toxic workplace environment that employees need to leave behind, not just cope with. If you have tried to solve the issue with your direct boss, perhaps HR as well, and nothing has changed you need to fix the underlying problem, not continue to deal with the symptoms in the hope that something will change.

    As a Leader:

    Listen to your employees – If they are providing feedback about you or the way in which the department is functioning, whether positive or otherwise, listen. Take it as positive and constructive, understand what is relevant and address it.

    Give regular positive feedback – Positive feedback is one of the most important tools you have in your management toolbox. Be sure to give to all your employees regular, positive feedback and make negative feedback constructive to motivate the person to change.

    Address conflict in the team – Avoid pushing conflict under the carpet. Bring it out into the open with relevant parties and get commitment to change. Conflict in the workplace causes those not involved to either discuss it in the corridor, thus becoming involved and adding fuel to the fire, or to withdraw. Both strategies are unhelpful to maintaining a productive environment and healthy teamwork.

    Dare to ask employees how they are doing – Asking this question will build trust and an open environment to discuss things that might be causing difficulty and therefore stress. When asking this question be sure to listen to the answer! Not listening may make the matter worse.

    Follow up – Show your interest in your employees by following up on conversations and changes as a result of those conversations. This shows respect to your employees and shows that you really care.

    In summary – a toxic work environment is caused by many factors. Living with it is not necessary and therefore be prepared to address it one way or another with the relevant parties. If you are a manager and leader, have close contact with your employees to know what aspects of the job might be causing too much stress and loss of productivity and then to proactively do something about it before complaining and unhappiness contribute to making a toxic work environment.

  • The New Hybrid – 7 Tips to Make it Work

    Nothing to do with a car! This term “hybrid” is commonly brandished around to refer to combining working hours or days from home or some other remote location, as well as from an office. How this looks now or will look in the near future is quite clear for some companies, for others it is still in discussion. From talking with clients, it seems that the most common reasons for employees not wishing to return to working full time in the office are:

    • For the last 18 months, work has been from home. Therefore, why is it necessary to go back to working at the office?
    • Productivity has stayed the same or even increased when working from home.
    • In those 18 months when there was no choice, I was trusted to do my job.

    However, not all employees want to stay working from home and have some other points that offer a positive side for returning to the office:

    • When working from home, the lack of clarity around working hours and always expected to “be available” due to unclear work boundaries.
    • Lack of social contact with fellow team members and impromptu get-togethers.
    • Difficulty balancing limited space at home with family members and work demands.
    • Diminished team spirit.

    Arguments from employers, even though they understand the obvious benefits of paying less office rent and associated expenses, are similar in many ways, with a few additions:

    • Teamwork suffers when we are not in the same space.
    • Company culture is negatively affected when working remotely.
    • Communication is not as open as it was before.
    • Productivity is suffering when working remotely.
    • Quality offered to clients in terms of phone line, accessibility etc is variable.
    • Lack of ad hoc learning from peers and managers when working from home.

    This last point is supported by a recent survey and resulting report conducted by “Poly Evolution of the Workplace” which polled 2,003 UK hybrid workers and found that

    “Nearly half (46 per cent) said they were worried that working remotely could impact their career development and progression, while 54 per cent said they were concerned they would miss out on ad hoc learning and development opportunities, including learning from peers and seniors, while working from home.”

    The same report also found that “Almost half (48 per cent) said remote working had made them less confident in their ability to communicate effectively, and 45 per cent felt they had “lost the art of small talk” as part of their job, thus supporting the feeling and observation that communication is less open when working remotely.

    What is the Answer?

    Enter the new hybrid. Finding a balance that allows both employee and employer to meet their needs in terms of performance while feeling secure, trusted and appreciated, is the key. What it looks like is going to vary from one person to the next, depending on position and areas of responsibility. Points such as can there be different approaches for different people to meet individual needs, or will this be classed as discrimination if one appears to have more favourable working practices than another? In a five-day week what should the balance of hours be between home and office?

    Clearly hybrid working is not effective for all positions and in some cases not possible, for example a chef, waiter or carer, who are either in their work environment working or off work and therefore out of the “office” environment. Should these people be compensated in some way for travel costs which other team members do not have?

    The New Hybrid - 7 Tips to Make it WorkIf trust is the main issue that organisations are facing when wanting to change employees full time working at home to either a hybrid solution or complete reversal of the current situation to 100% office-based roles, perhaps open communication is the best way to address this question to explore the needs of all concerned and find the solution that works through a win-win approach. Consider some or all of the following tips to formulating an acceptable approach to a hybrid working style for those that wish to remain working from home:

    1) Empathetic Listening

    In such situations, effective listening plays a massive role.Truly hearing what the other party is saying and recognising and responding to the words as well as the underlying emotions demonstrates a willingness to listen and to hear before proposing a ready-prepared solution that might not meet the needs of your employee who has made massive changes to their life to accommodate the change in circumstances due to “force majeure.” This same force majeure on the employer’s side also needs recognising, because without rapid changes in response to the pandemic, may not have survived and still be doing business today.

    2) Explore Options

    Rather than arriving at a meeting with employees with a fait accompli, taking time to explore options that could and would work is far more motivating than presenting a ready-made solution. Giving the other person/s the feeling that you want to work with their needs to find a solution not only motivates, but builds openness and trust in you as well as in the solution moving forward. In order to explore options through negotiation, both parties to keep in mind what you would like to achieve as well as identifying a minimum to which you are prepared to go in terms of compromise.

    3) Make A Proposal

    The proposal does not have to come from the employer only, the employee can also put their proposal on the table for consideration. The outcome needs to suit the business and both parties within the business. Perhaps the employee has thought of something that the employer has not considered that is a fine working solution for both parties.

    4) Agree a Way Forward

    Keep the conversation focused to the goals of agreeing the way forward and achieving a hybrid working structure that meets the needs of both parties, assuming hybrid is what you want. Once all facts and details have been discussed guide the conversation appropriately to achieve an agreement which is then documented in line with HR procedures. If agreeing on a trial approach for a certain time period, document this as well as the date and time for any follow up discussion. Be sure to schedule that follow up and show commitment to having the discussion.

    5) Monitor Performance

    Going forward in the new regime, the direct manager to monitor performance of each employee following a format that has been agreed between parties. Be ready to help with any difficulties and challenges and show a willingness to make it work. Key to making it work is to provide training and development for managers and leaders in how to effectively manage and inspire remote teams.

    6) Help Employees Plan Personal and Working Time

    For team members who are struggling with the feeling or expectation that they should be available all the time need help in understanding how to plan, in order to integrate their personal and working lives. Ngozi Weller, co-founder of Aurora Wellness stressed that “Managers should give guidance to employees on blocking time in diaries for lunch and other personal time, focused time to get work done, their definite start and end times and more.”

    “Employees need to protect themselves from the risk of burnout by planning for their personal wellbeing as a regular part of the work-day,” said Weller. “This could look different for each of us, but the principle of good work hygiene is the same.”

    7) Train Managers to Manage Employee Wellbeing

    Managing a team that is working remotely requires development of communication skills, especially listening. Relying on technology such as Zoom and Teams to host meetings is part of our daily lives in the hybrid model.However, as these platforms are limited from the point of view of picking up on non-verbal signals, there is a necessity to heighten the ability to “see” and to notice when things might be going right for some team members, and to be confident to lead and hold conversations around wellbeing. Gary Cookson, director of Epic HR said that “Managers should be able to pick up on subtle signals around communication, working hours and outputs. Training should also equip them to have appropriate conversations around wellbeing.”

    “Success in a hybrid work environment requires employers to move beyond viewing remote or hybrid environments as a temporary or short-term strategy and to treat it as an opportunity.”

    – George Penn, VP at Gartner

    References

    HOWLETT, E (2021)  Half of workers concerned hybrid working could lead to discrimination, report finds [People management.co.uk]

    POLY (2021) Poly Evolution of the Workplace Report Highlights Need for Work Equity and Total Meeting Equality for Hybrid Workers [Poly.com]

     
    WANT TO MAXIMAISE THE POWER OF HYBRID WORKING? SEE OUR WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE E-LEARNING COURSES!

  • Thriving Call Centre Culture: Wellbeing & Success

    In today’s dynamic customer service landscape, call centres play a pivotal role in shaping customer experience. Yet recent data makes it clear: focusing on employee wellbeing and retention is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for achieving sustainable productivity and a thriving call centre environment and culture.

    Call centre roles are inherently demanding. A constant stream of customer issues, emotionally charged conversations, and high expectations for immediate, personalised service place daily pressure on staff. While every customer deserves to feel important, the burden of delivering this experience repeatedly can take a toll on frontline employees.

    That’s why it’s critical that organisations look beyond performance metrics and instead focus on creating the environment and support systems that empower success.

    Key Strategies to Enhance Productivity and Wellbeing in Your Call Centre

    1. Address Employee Wellbeing

    The emotional and cognitive load in call centre work is considerable—and growing. Recent data from MHFA England reveals that:

    “63% of UK employees show signs of burnout, up from 51% just two years ago.” 

    “Only 55% report a high level of workplace wellbeing.” (Great Place to Work UK) 2024 report.

    Actionable solutions:

    • Schedule regular check-ins between employees and managers.
    • Avoid the “sticking plaster approach” and build a wellness strategy that deals with core of wellbeing in your team.
    • Create wellness programmes tailored to shift workers.
    • Promote flexible scheduling that supports work-life balance.
    • Offer training on resilience and stress management techniques.

    2. Foster Open Communication

    When employees feel heard and valued, they’re more engaged, loyal, and productive. The work culture thrives leading a productive environment and business success. Communication should flow in both directions—from leadership to staff, and from staff to leadership. Make a difference with:

    • Regular 1-to-1s and team check-ins.
    • Transparent updates from leadership, with open forums for discussion.
    • Anonymous surveys to gather honest feedback.
    • Acting on feedback to drive meaningful change.
    • Building psychological safety in teams fosters trust, collaboration, and long-term engagement.

    3. Optimise Work Arrangements

    Flexible working isn’t just a trend—it’s the new standard. According to the 2023 Call Centre Helper Research Paper – What Call Centres are Doing Right Now, 56.7% of contact centres now operate flexible shifts and a further 17.2% having this in their plans. The Times reports that hybrid work improves job satisfaction and reduces turnover by giving employees more autonomy and better work-life balance.

    Suggestions for success:

    • Offer hybrid and remote options where possible.
    • Provide equal access to support, resources, and recognition for remote staff.
    • Keep communication strong across virtual platforms.
    • Encourage regular team meet-ups (virtual or in-person) to share updates and resolve issues.

    4. Enhance Employee Retention

     Call centre staff turnover in the UK is, on average, 26% per year, while the national average sits at 15%. With an average call centre turnover rate of 26% per year, well above the national average of 15%, the call centre sector faces retention challenges. Moreover, in some call centres, turnover can reach levels as high as 44% per year, making the call centre industry one of the most transitory industries. Odondo  

    Actions that can help boost retention:

    • Train managers to lead with empathy, consistency, and transparency.
    • Clearly communicate career paths and advancement opportunities.
    • Create a culture that recognises and celebrates contributions.
    • Offer competitive salaries and meaningful benefits.
    • Ensure employees feel they belong, are valued, and have purpose in their work.

    5. Leverage Technology to Support, Not Monitor

    Technology can either streamline operations while maintaining a thriving call centre culture, or add stress—depending on how it’s implemented. The right tools should empower employees and enhance every customer experience, not micromanage and put the onus on the customer to do all the work. Key technologies to deploy:

    • Automate repetitive admin and customer queries.
    • Implement AI-driven support tools for complex problem-solving.
    • Provide real-time coaching and feedback systems.
    • Ensure proper training so both staff and customers know how to use these tools effectively.

    The goal to a thriving call centre is to remove friction, free up time, and give employees the tools to excel—not surveil their every move.

    Closing Thought

    Productivity follows people-first leadership. When you prioritise employee wellbeing, flexibility, communication, and fair treatment, your team becomes more resilient, engaged, and committed resulting in a thriving call centre culture and productive environment. In turn, this creates better outcomes for customers—and the business as a whole.

    In a service-driven world, your people are your most powerful asset. Let’s give them what they need to thrive.

    If you would like to chat about creating a thriving call centre culture, get in touch https://www.greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com/pages/contact

  • Take Control of Your Back to Work Fears

    This month’s blog is focused on the return to the office working environment and how you might be feeling about going out and about after the long period of social distancing, working from home and generally controlled contact on public transport and in crowded places. 

    Good news – yesterday morning the prime minister, Boris Johnson announced that we can all start hugging again.  Hugging, a form of physical contact with others is essential to us human beings. It is normal and natural that we shake hands, hug, casually, briefly touch each other during conversation and sit within reasonably close contact.  Infact it is not only normal and natural it is essential to our wellbeing, and the sooner we get hugging the better for our mental, emotional and physical health. The thought of going out into crowded places to get to the office, take a lunch break and use public transport, for some after such a long break, might be overwhelming, causing anxiety attacks and even agoraphobia. 

    WHAT IS AGORAPHOBIA? 

    According to NHS England “Agoraphobia is a fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult or that help wouldn’t be available if things go wrong. Many people assume agoraphobia is simply a fear of open spaces, but it’s actually a more complex condition. Someone with agoraphobia may be scared of travelling on public transport.” 

    VERY OFTEN SYMPTOMS OF AGORAPHOBIA ARE:

    • Fear or anxiety almost always results from exposure to the situation 
    • The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger of the situation 
    • Often with agoraphobia you avoid the situation, you need someone to go with you, or you endure the situation but become extremely distressed 
    • These feelings of significant distress or problems with social situations, work or other areas in your life result because of the fear, anxiety or avoidance 
    • This phobia and avoidance can last up to six months or even longer. 

    TYPICAL TRIGGERS OF AGORAPHOBIA ACCORDING TO THE MAYO CLINIC INCLUDE:

    • Leaving home alone 
    • Crowds or waiting in line 
    • Enclosed spaces, such as movie theatres, elevators or small stores 
    • Open spaces, such as parking lots, bridges or malls 
    • Using public transportation, such as a bus, plane or train 

    Take Control of Your Back to Work FearsDo you or any of your employees resonate with this definition and are feeling insecure, nervous and perhaps even anxious at having to travel on public transport and go back into the office environment, or are you welcoming this development with open arms?

    Agoraphobia is classed as a mental disorder as it can have the same debilitating effects as other mental disorders such as general anxiety disorder, depression and panic disorder. 

    WHAT CAN ORGANISATIONS DO TO HELP EMPLOYEES WITH AGORAPHOBIA, FEELINGS OF ANXIETY OR AGORAPHOBIC TENDENCIES? 

    Below are 5 things that can help leaders in organisations to identify and address employees that are suffering agoraphobic tendencies; 

    1. Be understanding and empathise. The person you are talking to might appear quite rational, calm and balanced, until such time as they are faced with having to leave the house, use public transport or even enter the office that was so familiar up until March 2020, which makes the conversation seem unreal and perhaps even a “try on” to return to or remain home-working. Show empathy, give time willingly and avoid judgement. 
    2. Notice changes in behaviour. Be attentive in conversations with employees and notice any change in behaviour, however slight.  Create an opportunity to open up the conversation around how they might be feeling about coming back to work in the office. If already back in the office, how they might feel about work back in the office and how they have adapted and changed their personal circumstances to accommodate this change. 
    3. Listen without commentary. When an employee begins to tell you about how they are feeling and the challenges they might be having around the new regime it might include issues in connection with childcare, the difficulties that might be caused by working part time at home and the rest of the time in the office.  Perhaps there are some family issues going on in the background that is distracting attention and performance.  Listening without trying to find the solution can be the most powerful gift that you give anyone.  Very often just being listened to is enough to feel secure, and to find the way forward by themselves.  The job of a leader is not to “fix” others, it is to help others fix themselves through listening. 
    4. Keep in touch. Once an employee has found their own solutions which they are comfortable with, check in now and again to see how they are getting on and what has changed in how they feel. Has the anxiety or agoraphobic attacks become less, more or gone away completely? If increasing, advise them to visit their doctor and encourage them to add practices such as meditation, deep breathing and mindfulness to their daily regime. 
    5. Do not assume that the most confident of your employees are not struggling. As leaders we often leave those that are the most confident and competent to “get on with the job,” to give time to those who need guidance, input and training. Why? They know what they are doing and therefore why get in the way or interfere? Agoraphobia and agoraphobic tendencies are not reserved for the less confident, it can affect anyone at any time. 

    The essence of what is in this blog is to avoid underestimating the impact that not only Covid has had on the physical body, but on mental health as well.  Living in an environment of fear for the last year has taken its toll on many of us and the true impact of isolation, social distancing and other lockdown regulations, may only be starting to show now.

     

    Worried about agoraphobia or other mental health issues in your office? Try Green Key’s Wellbeing in the Workplace E-learning course to help your team’s productivity!

  • Leadership – Can You Stomach It?

    “As with stomachs, we should pity minds that do not eat.”

    ― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

    It is my gut feeling that this is the right time to address the topic of digestion, the stomach and the gut and how they relate to leadership.

    The saying in the English language “I can’t stomach it”, can refer to several things:  It can mean that you cannot eat a particular thing because of the texture, flavour, consistency, taste or smell which you find revolting, and consequently “cannot stomach”.

    It can also refer to a person “I can’t stomach him or her.”  Meaning that you cannot bear to be around a particular person. This might also refer to an activity, TV programme, event or food that the person using the phrase has experience of and which leads to such a violent response such as “I cannot stomach that programme.” Or I can’t stomach eating x.” 

    WATCH MY VIDEO HERE:

     

     

    WHERE DID THIS SAYING COME FROM?

    Leadership and digestionAfter extensive search in Google, I have sadly been unable to find the origin of this descriptive and physically felt phrase.  What I mean by this is that you can feel the reaction that your stomach might have to a particular person, issue, activity or foodWhere does the expression, “I can’t stomach him/her” come from? How linked are our emotions and digestion? when you put yourself in through thought only into that situation.

    The digestive system is highly intelligent and if we put something into our mouths that is going to cause a major physical reaction, the system already starts to reject it through reflux and vomiting before it has gone too far, limiting any physical damage.  This leads on nicely to the following saying that is also stomach or gut related:

    “WHY DO I BRING THIS UP?”

    Another saying related to the digestive system.  Usually when we use this term it is pre-empted with something like “I am sorry for bringing this up.”  Or “I would like to bring x up as it is……….”   We try to compensate or balance the potential emotional reaction we think the topic in question is going to stir up in terms of thoughts and emotions that have been hidden, buried or pushed aside in the hope that they might go away.   Lacking the courage or resilience to deal with a particular issue, leads us to “hide” it in order to avoid any scrutiny, not to mention “out of sight, out of mind”.  Perhaps the subject is taboo for some reason or buried as those involved do not want to deal with the consequences or reactions of raising the topic with all relevant parties.

    As managers and leaders it is important that we are able to address situations and people related issues that we find very difficult, perhaps because of those involved, fear of the consequences when “bringing it up” or maybe even the fear of rejection.  The stomach is the part of our anatomy that “digests new ideas and experiences that we have.”  It processes all issues connected with the mind and the emotions – personal power and sense of self.  When there are stomach problems, if we are in touch with our own intuition and feelings it usually means that we don’t know how to assimilate the new experience – we are afraid.  “What or who can’t you stomach?”

    THE PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP

    One of the key principles of leadership is the courage to do and say what needs to be said through open, direct and clear communication to address issues that have been pushed under the carpet, and consequently those involved are not willing to deal with or alternatively hope the situation is not common knowledge.  It is not relevant whether we like a person or not.  It is about knowing the vision of why we exist as a team, department and company as well as knowing and living the values that guide decisions and actions.  Therefore, when for some reason a team member/s have deviated and is/are now under-performing, that we have the courage to follow our gut and address the situation and person/s openly.

    Constructive, open, fair, balanced and clear communication is necessary to help others firstly to recognise that their performance is suffering, to understand why it is below requirements, and then to find their own solution to rectify it.  This openness might be a “hard pill to swallow”.  Knowing the truth can sometimes hurt, however it is the truth that once swallowed leads to personal growth and development, not only of the employee, but the leader also.

    Interestingly, the throat centre (chakra) processes all issues of communication and expression, as well as trust, truth and true expression of who we are, our authenticity.  The throat connected to the mouth and feeding into the stomach is part of the digestive system.

    Knowing this fact as a leader can be useful to remind us that given the correct “food”, cooked in the correct manner might be difficult for the other person to accept, but when they do it leads to learning for all involved through open expression, one of the most important aspects of dynamic leadership.

    In conclusion, our digestion has a lot to do with effective leadership, not weakening a message, but structuring it in a way that makes it an acceptable “pill to swallow”, thus leading to a positive change in performance.   It is my gut feeling that by bringing up this parallel between the digestive system and leadership, even though for some it might raise issues that are difficult to overcome or to stomach, can only result in a healthy digestive system, working environment, and relationships.

    Bon appetite!

     

    To learn how we can help you and your organisation, email Rachel directly at rachel@greenkeypersonaldevelopment.com 

     

    References:  You Can Heal Your Life,  Louise L. Hay

    Spiritual Healing, Jack Angelo

     

    Rachel ShackletonRachel Shackleton is an entrepreneur who owns and manages Green Key Personal Development and Green Key Health. Working with local and multinational organisations, she is a public speaker and trainer in the spheres of leadership, communication and customer excellence. She ensures sustainable productivity and profitability through healthy self-management and leadership practices, ensuring a focused and successful workforce.

  • Learning from mistakes – the “oscar faux pas”

    What will the impact of no risk taking be on individual’s and how we learn, on organisations and levels of competitiveness, and on whole countries and nations?  Are we really advocating that we must stay within a known comfort zone?

    It’s one thing messing things up in private, where mistakes can be rectified and nobody notices.  However the news at the beginning of last week after the Oscars was very special.  It was a ‘case example’ of how mistakes are made and the way in which reactions can spread….

    “The winner of the Oscar for the best film goes to ……………….  Oops”

    A certainty in life is that we will all make mistakes, big and small.  We have all been, and will be in, those situations where there is that sinking feeling in the stomach, or throughout our whole body, as we realise a mistake is emerging.

    We live in a culture where mistakes are derided and blown out of proportion.  I admit to laughing a bit at the news of the Oscar prize-winning faux pas, thinking  “What a mess. How is that possible? Probably deserved it, glad that wasn’t me!’.  The mix up at the Oscars resulted in the media leading a somewhat scornful, mocking campaign aimed at those who simply gave the wrong envelope to someone at an awards ceremony.

    Are we in a culture where each one of us is quick to judge others against our own perceived perfection.  Are we in a culture where we can no longer make mistakes?  If we criticise and blame others, how helpful is this?  Does it move the situation forward, help the “accused” learn from their mistake, no it simply causes that person to become down trodden, self critical and de-motivated.  The mistake at the Oscar ceremony was simple human error.  Yes, we can argue that it should not have happened, but it did!  However the overall effect is that we are further drawn into a world where the culture for accepting mistakes, or taking risks, is diminished.

    Many people think that as managers and leaders we are supposed to get everything right.  We are supposed to make all right decisions, answer with the right answer and generally show our knowledge and wisdom.  Is this really so?  I think slightly differently.  Of course, in our positions as managers and leaders we should endeavour to act and behave correctly in each situation, to make those right decisions and to answer our team members with the right answer, but there are times when that is neither realistic nor possible.  Most managers and leaders do not find themselves in life and death situations when having to make decisions, and therefore making a decision becomes far more important than not making a decision, as this holds up operations, processes and team members who are waiting for direction.

    Going down the path after having made that mistake, knowing that we were wrong, it takes courage to admit it, to learn from it and to move on.  Without the courage to take decisions and to take risk we are limiting ourselves and those around us.  We limit our own learning, the learning of others and the excitement of seeing what happens when we take that risk.  Most importantly we spend more time in accusation, blame and protection of what gives us the most for the least effort and keeps us in our comfort zone.

  • Lessons from Janus the Two-Faced God

    Janus, the Roman god, to whom we owe the naming of the first month of the year, January, looked forward into the future while also having the wisdom for reflection and resolution of the past. Starting a new year is a perfect time for closure on things as well as to reflect while making plans for the coming year. In reflecting we might ask questions such as:

    • What worked well last year?
    • What systems, processes and procedures are not working so well? Why?
    • Where do we need to make improvements?
    • Who within my team has learning and development needs to help them perform better, to step into a new role and so on?

    Asking these and many other questions, helps us plan and budget effectively. What happens if managers and leaders are unable to reflect both on their personal performance and the performance of those they lead? Ever worked with or for someone who always seems to have a reason why something cannot be done, won’t work, didn’t work, wouldn’t fit, does not make sense or any other similar phraseology, simply wanting to protect the status quo appearing lethargic, stubborn and perhaps even toxic in making any changes that might take them out of their “comfort zone”.

    Staying in a comfort zone, as it suggests, feels easy remaining in the familiar – “better the devil you know than you don’t know.” “We’ve always done it like this.” Challenging our comfort zone requires effort, change to be more effective, to try something different or new and to temporarily move into the unknown. “Comfort zones are our default behaviour – our routines, habits and patterns.  Comfort zones are not necessarily comfortable, they are familiar. They are what we know and they are ways we organize much of our lives”.   (The Bigger Game, Laura Whitworth, Nick Tamlyn)

    Linking this to positive thinking and a positive, constructive approach, a comfort zone is something that we do not necessarily see, rather it is “just the way we do things”. Our patterns of thought and behaviour. The key to changing ingrained patterns that do not necessarily serve us personally as well as those around us is to be open to hear when someone challenges the way we do things or the way of thinking at that moment. Encourages reflection and analysis of situations, thoughts and ideas to challenge the status quo, the comfort zone. Accepting that there might be another way to do something does not necessarily mean choosing what is being suggested. However, it does require that we examine that particular pattern of behaviour and make a conscious decision as to whether it is actually serving our individual interests as well as those of a department or whole organisation, question where we are now in the process, where we want to be and therefore what we want to achieve.

    Negativity, such as the inability to listen – “I believe I am right”, avoiding accountability and responsibility, lack of energy to try, giving no support for something new, focusing on the past rather than the present, is simply a toxin that saps lifeblood from the person themselves, from the system, from the team and ultimately the organization as a whole.  

    Everyone in the organization needs to feel fulfilled. Feeling fulfilled does not mean that life is easy. Fulfillment can coexist in a challenging environment, when we are out of our comfort zone and when times require extra effort to rise to the challenge being ready to step out and step up not only to overcome the challenge, but also to learn and grow, leaving our comfort zone behind while moving into the new state. And then like Janus reflecting on what has been achieved, is it serving well and how can it be improved moving forward?

    Keeping a balance between looking forward and planning the future requires the wisdom of Janus to be open with ourselves and others, to admit when something is not working well, needs upgrading, changing or deleting only comes through open reflection and the willingness to resolve issues.

  • Moral courage in leadership

    “If you are a leader. A person that other fellows look to, you’ve got to keep going.”

    Sir Ernest Shackleton

    As we speed to the end of 2022 and begin 2023, on our minds is the inevitable “New Year Resolutions.” What, if any are you committing yourself to do or be? Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist in our NHS sparked my thought process to think about new year and my resolutions.  If I am to set any, the word “courage” comes to mind.

    Courage as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is “the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” When referring to courage, based on this definition we are already including the word moral and therefore it is not necessary to refer to “moral courage”. In the words of Daniel Goleman, courage is based on self-confidence and people with this competence are able to:

    • “Present themselves with self-assurance and self-confidence creating a “presence”
    • Are able to and will voice views that are unpopular, going out on a limb for what is right
    • Are decisive, able to make sound decisions despite uncertainties, pressures, obstacles, as well as fear.”

    Courage, in short is the ability to overcome fear in the face of perceived danger for what you believe is right. How many leaders today, do you know who are doing just that? The Mandelas, Churchills and even Shackleton, the explorer are long gone. It is only self-confidence and courage that gives you the strength to make tough decisions or follow a course of action that you believe in, despite opposition, disagreement and even the threat of being dislodged, smeared and ridiculed by those with an equally strong, but opposite belief. Whether you agree with what Dr Malhotra is saying, is irrelevant, but he is standing up for what he believes and leading the way for those that believe the same, but yet, lack the self-confidence and courage to speak out due to fear of what might happen, if they do.

    Fear, which I have written about in a previous blog is something that is based on irrational beliefs, events, persons or feelings that will result in negative, disastrous, disturbing, unsettling or even life-threatening consequences for the person who is in fear. Our fears can and do take us hostage, preventing and blocking us from living powerfully, being who we are without fear of retribution, because of a negative state. Surely, living in a democratic society means that we can share personal opinions and views openly in an appropriate manner, allowing others to having an opposite viewpoint whether in public, our teams or in organisations?

    Our brains are hardwired to look for danger and pain, warning us to stay away.  In order to act courageously you have to convince your brain to look for and see the benefit of a particular action. I remember several situations in my career where courage to speak out about what I thought would be perceived as a negative decision by those who were on the other end of it, and in the short-term detrimental to those same people. The risk was high, but it was the only way that I saw for us all to weather the storm, and survive, thus in the medium-term would and did benefit all. That did not make it easy, because the brain is trying to convince you that you are not doing the right thing, therefore you are not only dealing with the feelings and opinions of those who are on the end of your decision, but also your own self-doubt and sudden disappearance of inner confidence and calm. How will you feel and what will you do if it goes wrong? Those questions driving shame, guilt and fear, perhaps even anger before it has arrived. How do you overcome fear in order to step outside your comfort zone and secure base and look danger in the face, not recklessly, but with enough self-confidence to eliminate the fear and to use it towards achieving a positive outcome.

    1. Identify the fear – just what is it that you are afraid of? Write it down and examine it for what it is, using the questions: Why do I have this fear? Where is the fear coming from? What is driving it?
    2. Go deeper and reflect on aspects of the past and what may be contributing to this fear in the present. Have you stirred an old wound that you have been suppressing?
    3. Think of someone who you can share and talk about your fear with. Someone who can be your “base,” an ally who will listen and walk with you through your fear.
    4. Visualise yourself overcoming your fear and succeeding in your quest.
    5. Act by taking the necessary steps to make it happen. It is only when you have acted that you truly have overcome your fear.

    Courage is a very essential characteristic of a leader. George Kohlrieser in “Care to Dare” talks about “Playing to win.” Playing to win takes the perceived threat and fear out of the equation. When a leader plays to win, he or she is able to take the necessary risks to succeed. When playing to win you have a high focus on relationships, therefore not sacrificing your people for your own ego. It is about the fine balance between the relationships and the level of challenge that enables you to reach the highest levels of performance. You support your team members, creating a safe place, but at the same time stretch them through high expectations, challenge, direct and constructive feedback. Feeling safe and challenged, your team members will be fully engaged in exploring possibilities, being creative, as well as taking the risks necessary to allow for them to take the steps needed for change. Practicing the balance of “caring and daring” you will not pursue options that allow others to “lose.”

    Nelson Mandela, Sir Ernest Shackleton and other great leaders all played to win overcoming their own fears and taking the “bull by the horns”. They led at their best despite setbacks by creating a safe base for their followers, even though working against the odds, having a deep impact on their followers and ultimately on the outcome. Leaders in business who act in the same manner also play to win, not just for themselves, but all those they lead. Dr Malhotra is doing just that.

    In my humble opinion it is time for our leaders, whether in government, in organisations or small business, to pick up the gauntlet, overcome their fears and show courage by speaking out and sharing what in your hearts you know to be true. Perhaps if we all did that, our world would be a more humble, tolerant and caring place?

    Are you ready to stick your head above the parapet and speak up for what you believe is true and right?

    References:

    Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman

    Care to Dare, George Kohlrieser

    Hostage at the Table, George Kohlrieser